Contract scientist vs research laboratory manager

The differences between contract scientists and research laboratory managers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a contract scientist and a research laboratory manager. Additionally, a contract scientist has an average salary of $98,484, which is higher than the $64,333 average annual salary of a research laboratory manager.

The top three skills for a contract scientist include technical reports, HPLC and chemistry. The most important skills for a research laboratory manager are lab equipment, research projects, and lab safety.

Contract scientist vs research laboratory manager overview

	Contract Scientist	Research Laboratory Manager
Yearly salary	$98,484	$64,333
Hourly rate	$47.35	$30.93
Growth rate	17%	17%
Number of jobs	51,771	89,981
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	41	41
Years of experience	4	4

Contract scientist vs research laboratory manager salary

Contract scientists and research laboratory managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Contract Scientist	Research Laboratory Manager
Average salary	$98,484	$64,333
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $141,000	Between $45,000 And $91,000
Highest paying City	-	Baltimore, MD
Highest paying state	-	Maryland
Best paying company	-	Meta
Best paying industry	-	Health Care

Differences between contract scientist and research laboratory manager education

There are a few differences between a contract scientist and a research laboratory manager in terms of educational background:

	Contract Scientist	Research Laboratory Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 69%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Biology	Biology
Most common college	University of Southern California	Duke University

Contract scientist vs research laboratory manager demographics

Here are the differences between contract scientists' and research laboratory managers' demographics:

	Contract Scientist	Research Laboratory Manager
Average age	41	41
Gender ratio	Male, 55.1% Female, 44.9%	Male, 45.2% Female, 54.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 6.6% Unknown, 4.2% Hispanic or Latino, 9.8% Asian, 26.2% White, 53.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 6.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 26.3% White, 53.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between contract scientist and research laboratory manager duties and responsibilities

Contract scientist example responsibilities.

Manage data of project samples through LIMS software.
Manage sample inventory via in-house laboratory information management system (LIMS) and implement additional systems for sample and chemical organization.
Present chemistry of current and future targets at team meetings.
Coordinate internal blood draws to harvest serum and plasma for future testing.
Authenticate structure and purity of compounds by NMR, LCMS, HPLC, and CHN.
Complete a proprietary research project in photo-electric chemistry.

Research laboratory manager example responsibilities.

Manage and order equipment and materials for lab usage with NIH grant and write monthly credit card reports.
Manage laboratory team activities v. assist set up and revision of project plans under the guidance of NIH vi.
Design, development and validation of cell-base assays; infrare EMSA analysis, western blotting, ELISA.
Prepare, perform RT-PCR and Q-PCR and analyze the results.
Write grant proposal, project reports, IRB applications, and documentation.
Compose and maintain all lab IRB protocols in accordance with HIPAA guidelines.

Contract scientist vs research laboratory manager skills

Common contract scientist skills

Technical Reports, 12%
HPLC, 8%
Chemistry, 8%
Data Analysis, 8%
Analytical Methods, 8%
Western Blotting, 6%

Common research laboratory manager skills

Lab Equipment, 9%
Research Projects, 8%
Lab Safety, 6%
Cell Culture, 5%
Patients, 5%
Research Lab, 5%

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Contract Scientist
Contract Scientist vs Research Laboratory Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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